Sheep pelt clamp



y 1963 F. G. CONNICK ETAL 3,091,326

SHEEP PELT CLAMP Filed March 23, 1960 1 D P 43 fig. 5

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ELHUN I. 5mm

3,091,326 SHEEP PELT CLAMP Francis G. Conniclr, Downers Grove, John A. Brendle,

La Grange, and Eldon .I. Strandine, Chicago, fit, as-

signors to Swift & Company, Chicago, III., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 17,196 3 Claims. ((31. 198180) This invention relates to a device for securing in place flexible material, and, more particularly, the invention relates to a substantially automatic app aratus especially adapted to grasp, hold and release flexible sheet material such as pelts, skins, hides, and leather or the like while undergoing processing operations.

During the processing of flexible sheet material it is often necessary to secure flexible sheet material to a particular portion of a processing apparatus. It is important in many processes that the flexible sheet be firmly held in order to enable a force to be applied to some portion of it without removing the sheet from the holding means. As an example, it has been extremely diflicult to secure hides to a conveying means where the hair is to be removed without the hides themselves being loosened or removed from the conveying means. Various types of adhesives have been utilized to secure flexible sheet material to a conveying means. However, these adhesives are diflicult to work with and many problems are encountered.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for mechanically securing a flexible sheet material in place.

It is a further object to provide an improved apparatus for grasping, holding and releasing a flexible sheet material in a substantially automatic manner.

A further object is to provide an improved apparatus to be capable of conveying and to substantially automatically grasp, hold and release a flexible material.

A further object is to provide an improved apparatus for securing hides to a conveying means.

A still further object is to provide an improved apparatus for substantially automatically grasping, holding and releasing a hide while the hide is on a conveying means undergoing an unhairing operation.

Additional objects and advantages of this invention if not specifically set forth will become apparent to one skilled in the art during the course of the following description.

The present apparatus comprises a clamp having a recessed body member mounted on a supporting means, a hinge member mounted along one side of the recessed member and a plate pivotally attached to the hinge member to form a toggle. The apparatus is capable of gripping the sheet-like material against the recessed member.

One particularly important use for the apparatus is in connection with the dehairing of hides and skins. For instance, the present apparatus may be utilized to grip "a sheepskin While the wool is being stripped therefrom. It also finds useful application in machinery for removing manure, etc., from pelts and hides. The present apparatus is particularly suitable for use with a dehairing device of the type disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,841,- 829 to Strandine et al., which discloses an apparatus including a belt conveyor on which pelts or skins are placed. The pelts or skins are carried by the belt conveyor through a series of rollers which physically pull the hair or Wool therefrom. The apparatus is most effective when used to grip materials of substantially nonslippery nature; however, where it is necessary to use a depilatory agent, which results in a slippery hide, it is preferable to remove a small quantity of hair from the 3,091,326 Patented May 28, 1963 immediate area to be engaged by the apparatus. A more complete understanding of the invention may be gained by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, which describe the apparatus as being utilized in connection with a dehairing device.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying the features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation taken at 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing the positions through which the clamp moves;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic side elevational view of a dehairing device, such as that of US. Patent No. 2,841,- 829, incorporating the invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation in section of the clamp closed on a pelt.

In the drawings wherein like characters refer to like parts throughout, the apparatus comprises a clamp generally 16 having a rectangular recessed member generally-14, comprising a base 16 and four walls 18, 19, 2t and 21. Preferably base 16 is provided with an opening 17, the purpose of which will later be made clear. At least one of the longer walls 18 is formed at an acute angle to the base 16 to form a channel 22 as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, for purposes which will later become clear. The walls 13, 19, 2t) and 21 terminate in outwardly bent flange members 24, 25, '26, and 27, respectively, lying in a plane gene-rally parallel to base 16. Clamp .10 is preferably mounted transversely on a conveyor belt or Web 28 as shown in FIGURE 1. The clamp is secured by cutting an opening in the conveyor belt or web, wherein the recessed member 14 is fitted, and fastening the flanges 24, 25, 26, and 27 to the belt with a plurality of rivet-s 36 (as illustrated) or other suitable fasteners. Where a chain-type conveyor is utilized the clamp may be secured to a pair of parallel chains by passing fasteners through the rivet holes of flanges 25 and 26 and attaching them to the chains.

A toggle member generally 32 is hingeably connected to the recessed member .14 adjacent wall 20 by means of a pin 33. Toggle 32 comprises a hinge member 34 pivotably mounted on the pin 33, and having an angular projection 35 at one side of an edge opposite pin 33; and a plate 36 adjacent the projection pivotably connected to the same edge of hinge member 34 (opposite pin 33) by a second hinge pin 37. It is preferred to provide a spring 38 about pin 37 between plate 36 and hinge member 34 thus urging the plate 36 toward the recessed member 14 and thereby assuring that plate 36 Will be in position to engage channel 22. To close the clamp pressure is applied against projection 35 to pivot the toggle 32 on pin 33. If desired, the leading unhinged edge 39 of plate 36 may be serrated or coated with rubber or plastic to improve gripping action on hides or other flexible materials having a smooth surface.

In operation, a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, clamp '10 is mounted, as described, on a conveyor belt 28. A clamp is opened as illustrated in FIGURE 2, position A, and a hide 40 is placed on the belt 28 with one end extending over flange 24 into the recessed portion 14. The conveyor belt 28 is moved in the direction indicated by arrow 41 in FIGURE 2, and the toggle 32 will pass between a closing roll 42 and a cooperating backing roll 43 (both journaled in a frame 44). Consequently, the

closing roll 42 upon engaging projection 35 of toggle 3-2 applies a pressure which forces the toggle downward through position B with the leading edge 39 of plate 36 entering over the hide 40 and into channel 22 under flange 24. It should be noted that in positions A and B the angle between hinge member 34 and plate 36 is less than As conveyor belt 28 continues to move, carrying the hide, closing roll 42 continues to apply pressure to projection 35' of the toggle, and forces the plate into locked position C, whereby the leading edge 39 of plate 3'4 is forced firmly into channel 22 thereby eifectively gripping hide 40. In the locked position, the angle between hinge member 35 and plate 36 is slightly greater than 180 and any pulling forces acting on hide 40 will tend to increase the angle and cause the toggle to grip even more firmly.

Rolls 42 and 43 are closely spaced one above the other and may be provided with suitable meshed gears 45 and 46, respectively, causing the two rolls to turn toward one another on the application of power to either of the gears. A pulley 47 is fixedly attached to gear 46 and in turn connected through a belt 48 to a power source, not shown, to move rolls'42,43 at a linear speed substantially equal tothe belt 28, However, r-olls 42 and 43 need not necessarily be supplied with power Since the motion of belt 28 and clamp passing therebetween is sufficient to close the clamp and secure a hide therein. Furthermore, in lieu of backing roll 43, a backing plate or other suitable backing surface may be substituted to support the conveyor belt and clamp against the pressure exerted by closing roll 42.

With one end of a hide secured in the clamp, a relatively large force, such as that used in removing wool from sheepskins, may be applied to the hide without it being pulled from the clamp. The operation of a suitable dehairing device is schematically shown in "FiGURE 3. Illustrated in this figure are conveyor 28, closing roll 42, backing roll 43, a hair loosening roll 49, a pair of unhairing rolls '50 and 51, clamp opening means 53 (to be described) and various other conveyor operating elements. The clamp of the present invention may be placed on the conveyor of such a device substantially as described. Thus, the hide may be automatically and quickly secured in the clamp and will be firmly held while the unhairing rolls 50, 51 remove hair.

Subsequent to the processing steps, the clamp 10 may be automatically opened, so as to release the hide 40, by applying a force against the underside of toggle 32 through the opening .17 in the base 16 of recessed member 14. Such a force may be applied by hand against the inside face of toggle .32, thus forcing the toggle upward removing leading edge 39 of plate 36 from channel 22 and re leasing the hide from the clamp. However, various mechanical opening means generally 53 may be utilized for applying a force to the toggle. One such means, shown in FIGURE 2, is comprised of a plunger 54 positioned below the conveyor belt at a convenient location beyond, in the direction of conveyor travel, the area at which the hide is worked upon. Plunger 54 is reciprocable by a cylinder and piston 56 which'may be actuated by a convenient sensing means, such as'a photoelectric cell, not shown, as the clamp passes over the plunger. Plunger 54 is quickly moved into the opening 17 of clamp .10 to apply aforce to the toggle 32 and thus open the clamp and release the hide. Other means may be used to apply the force against the toggle in an upward direction with respect to the conveyor 28, to cause the hinge member 34 and plate 36 to pivot with respect to one another thereby reducing the distance between leading edge 39 and pin 35. For instance, a finger may be pivotally mounted below the conveyor belt to move generally in thedirection of conveyor travel while it passes into the opening of the clamp.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such-limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the. appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for gripping and moving sheet-like material, said apparatus comprising: an endless conveyor belt, said belt having an opening therein; a clamp member secured to said conveying means, said clamp member having a recessed base positioned within said opening and an upstanding wall generally transverse to the direction of motion of said conveying means, said wall being at an acute angle to said base and forming a channel therebetween; toggle means pivotally mounted with respect to said base generally opposite said wall, said to-ggle means having an edge thereof extendable to within said channel whereby sheet material may be gripped therebetween; closing means associated with said convey ing means for pivoting the toggle means toward said base to therebyforce said edge toward said channel; an opening means associated with said conveying means spaced in the direction of motion from said closing means, said opening means adapted for pivoting said toggle away from said base thereby removing said edge from said channel to release the sheet material.

2. Apparatus for gripping and moving sheet-like material, said apparatus comprising: an endless conveyor belt, said belt having an opening formed therein; a recessed clamp member seated in the opening in said belt, said recessed member having an open base and upstanding walls on said base, one of said walls transverse to said conveyor belt being at an acute angle to said base and forming a channel therebetween; a pivotable member hinged to said recessed member along a side opposite said one wall, saidpivotable member having a projection extending upwardly at an angle from said pivotable member; a plate pivotally connected to said pivotable member along an edge opposite said side, said plate extending to within said channel when said pivotable member is turned toward said base whereby to grip the sheet material between said plate and said channel; closing means adjacent the upper surface of said conveyor cooperable with said projection on said pivotable member to turn it toward said base; and opening means adjacent the lower surface of said conveyor spaced in the direction of conveyor travel from said closing means,

said opening means being extendable through the open base of said recessed clamp to turn the pivotable member away therefrom whereby to release the sheet material.

3. A gripping device suitable for attachment to conveyors for securing sheet-like material thereto, said device comprising: a recessed clamp member, said recessed member having an open base and upstanding walls on said base, one of said walls being disposed at an acute angle to said base forming a channel therebetween; out turned flanges connected to said wallsfor mounting said clamp member within an opening in an endless belt; a

pivotable member hinged to said recessed member along a side opposite said one wall, said pivotable member having a projection extending upwardly at an angle from said pivotable member; a plate pivotally connected to said pivotable member along an edge opposite said side, said plate and said pivotable member being of sufficient dimensions. to enable the plate to extend to within said channel when said pivotable member is turned toward said base by a force on said projection thereby gripping an end of the sheet-like material between said plate and said channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,993,044 Van Alstyn Mar. 5, 1935 2,530,412 Wallace Nov. 21, 1950 2,802,562 Wisseman Aug. 13, 1957 2,841,829 Strandine et a1. July 8, 1958 2,939,196 Weis June 7, 1960 

1. APPARATUS FOR GRIPPING AND MOVING SHEET-LIKE MA TERIAL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT, SAID BELT HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN; A CLAMP MEMBER SECURED TO SAID CONVEYING MEANS, SAID CLAMP MEMBER HAVING A RECESSED BASE POSITIONED WITHIN SAID OPENING AND AN UPSTANDING WALL GENERALLY TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOTION OF SAID CONVEYING MEANS, SAID WALL BEING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO SAID BASE AND FORMING A CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN; TOGGLE MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID BASE GENERALLY OPPOSITE SAID WALL, SAID TOGGLE MEANS HAVING AN EDGE THEREOF EXTENDABLE TO WITHIN SAID CHANNEL WHEREBY SHEET MATERIAL MAY BE GRIPPED THEREBETWEEN; CLOSING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONVEYING MEANS FOR PIVOTING THE TOGGLE MEANS TOWARD SAID BASE TO THEREBY FORCE SAID EDGE TOWARD SAID CHANNEL; AN OPENING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONVEYING MEANS SPACED IN THE DIRECTION OF MOTION FROM SAID CLOSING MEANS, SAID OPENING MEANS ADAPTED FOR PIVOTING SAID TOGGLE AWAY FROM SAID BASE THEREBY REMOVING SAID EDGE FROM SAID CHANNEL TO RELEASE THE SHEET MATERIAL. 